What I Wouldn't Do
by blood-whisperer
Summary: After A fight, Kagome cuts herself off from the feudal era for two years. When she returns will everything be the same? Full Summary in my profile! InuKag MirSan
1. A Day Like Any Other?

A.N.

Be easy on me okay… this is my first Inu-Yasha fanfic! Have fun! -

Arrius (I do not own Inu-Yasha!)

What I Wouldn't Do

Chapter 1: A Day Like Any Other? 

Kagome Higurashi has always believed that if you want something bad enough, it would come to you. The only thing that she wanted more than to get into a good high school, was the man, or should I say half-demon, of her dreams, Inu-Yasha.

"HEY! Wench! Get over here and tell me which direction the jewel shards are in!" Inu-Yasha stood atop a hill, ominous rain clouds rolling away over the plains. His growling voice was barely audible above the roaring thunder.

And it was too bad for her that he only thought of her as a "jewel detector".

"WHY DON'T YOU SAY **PLEASE** FOR A CHANGE!" the miko sulked over the disgruntled Inu-Yasha, a couple of days without fighting demons always made him edgy. Her clothes were soaked to the skin, and if things couldn't get any worse, she had just realized that Miroku was staring at her legs. Sango had also noticed this and dealt him a resounding smack, harder than usual.

"Why don't you try and make me? And like you can, you're just a pathetic little…" Inu-Yasha turned to see a ver scary sight, and he knew what was forming on Kagome's lips before she even said it. Miroku was in the back ground, his eyes wide and his face red.

"SIT BOY!" mud splattered over the drying top soil, "SIT BOY!"

Inu-Yasha's hair now resembled a baldly overgrown garden. "SIT!SIT!SIT! SIT! SIT! SITSITSITSITSITSITSIT!" Kagome stalked off in the direction of Kaede's village, nose in the air. Her bow slung over one shoulder and her yellow bag on the other.

Miroku stepped over to him and peered down at the now muddy, bruised, sore, disgruntled hanyou.

"Do you need any help getting up?" A growl was enough to set him hot on Kagome's heels. Shippo shook his head.

"Jeez, whatever you did to deserve fourteen sits in a row musta been bad." Hopping over Inu-Yasha, the kitsune dashed a head of Miroku and Sango to perch on Kagome's yellow bag.

Five Hours Later

"WHAT THE HELLS WAS THAT FOR!" Inu-Yasha's face was mere inches from Kagome's.

"YOU DESERVED THEM!" she yelled right back, drawing herself nose to nose with him. Neither noticed that the others were still within earshot nor the fact that the villagers were now gathering around them.

"LIKE HELL I DID! YOU'VE BEEN A REAL PAIN IN MY ASS!"

"AND YOU ARE NO WALK IN THE PARK EITHER!"

"YOU STILL HAVEN'T ANSWERED MY QUESTION!"

"AND WHY SHOULD I! YOU'RE BEING RUDE ABOUT IT!"

"**I'M** BEING RUDE!"

"YES!"

"YOU'RE SUCH A BITCH!"

"DOG BREATH!'

"IDIOT!"

And for the second time that day Inu-Yasha was a decoration on the ground. Kagome stared down at the fuming Inu-Yasha, tears coursing down her flushed cheeks. Without a word to anyone, she picked up her big yellow bag and ran as fast as it would allow her to go, past Kaede's hut, out of the village, and through the forest right to the well. She stood atop and glared into the darkness.

"Inu-Yasha… I hate your fucking guts."

A blue light and the smell of exhaust fumes filled her nose, she was home.

A.N.

Up next… _What the hell did I do? _Sorry that this chapter was so short!


	2. What The Hell Did I Do?

A.N: Hey there again! I hope that you liked the first Chapter! And now on with the story!

I do NOT own Inu-Yasha!

What I Wouldn't Do 

Chapter 2: What the hell did I do?

"Where the hell is she?" Inu-Yasha had been receiving the silent treatment for the past two days. Ever since Kagome left without a word, he had been worried sick; however, nobody would have known it with his attitude, and that was just how he wanted it.

"I know you can hear me!", still silence. "Fine!" he stood up and turned his back to the camp fire, "DON'T TELL ME! YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS, DON'T YOU!"

"No, Inu-Yasha," Sango lifted her head; tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "we don't. After your last fight she just left and we have seen her." A sob escaped her and she buried her face in her arms. Miroku lifted his arm and softly patted her back.

"Inu-Yasha, can you think of anything that you did that might have upset Lady Kagome?" Miroku's eyes bored into the hanyou's.

_Did I do anything; I would never hurt her intentionally… _"I don't need this from you guys, find me when there's a demon." … _If I did hurt her, I would have known._ Leaping off into darkness, he found himself at the God Tree. Inu-Yasha raised a clawed hand to the scar that Kikyo's arrow had left in the trunk.

The whole ordeal replayed itself in his head. A strange aching feeling latched onto his heart as everything went dark, and then light once more as he saw Kagome running up the path, pursued by Mistress Centipede. Slowly, a white fog consumed the memory and lifted to show a different one.

Inu-Yasha leapt up into the branches of the God tree and closed his eyes, and screwed slightly in concentration. _Now why am I remembering this?_

**FLASHBACK – 3 days previously **

Kagome sat across from Kaede, each in quiet meditation. Inu-Yasha sat in his usual corner snorting every few minutes at the two miko. Finally tiring, he picked himself up and walked outside of the hut. After some time Kaede opened her eyes and sighed.

"We are done for now child. Ye did well. Come back tomorrow and I will show ye more." Kagome stood up and hugged the old woman.

"Thanks, Kaede!" she turned on her heel to face Inu-Yasha, but he wasn't there, dismissing the thought she turned back around to face the small cooking fire. "Kaede, how do I tell someone something when they oppose what I feel?"

"Tis about Inu-Yasha, is it not?"

"How did you…" Kaede held up her hand.

"And you wish to tell him how you feel, correct?" Kagome hung her head. "Now child, love is nothing to be ashamed of!"

At first Kagome tried to deny any affections for the hanyou, but just the thought of him made her flush. "Ah, tis obvious how you feel for him. And if ye ask me, I think that he may have feeling for ye as well." The old women smiled warmly and patted Kagome on the cheek. "Just let your heart speak for you."

"Oh, thanks so much Kaede!" hugging her once more, Kagome left the hut and picked up her bow. With a determined look upon her face, she set off for the river. Kaede may have advised her to speak with her heart, but she didn't want to leave anything to chance.

Inu-Yasha passed through the village, his annoyance growing every second. _Why the hell can't these humans get that I'm not going to eat them!_ Growling in rage he jumped into the nearest tree. _If they like to stare, I'll just sit here and bug the crap outta them!_

Minutes passed and soon after Inu-Yasha had settled himself in the tree, the villagers began to ignore him and resume their work. Satisfied with himself, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. The smells of the village enveloped him, small cooking fires, fish, grass and W_ait…Kikyo! Why is she here?_ And there she was at the edge of the forest. The pearly white soul catchers reflected no light, but themselves gave off an eerie white glow.

Inu-Yasha suppressed a shudder as he approached her.

"What to you want!" his voice contorted with rage.

"I wish to speak with you." Kikyo turned away and led him to the river. "Inu-Yasha… I want you to come to hells with me now!" She held his hands and kissed him, Inu-Yasha was frozen with shock. The smell of clay and bones filled his nose, and something else…

_KAGOME!_

A.N. I'd like to specially thank the people who reviewed! It's a kind of motivation! Thanks!

Wolffox

Silverbloodrain

FuTuRe PeRfEcT

Thanks again! Up next…_My Tormented Soul _


	3. My Tormented Soul

A.N: Hey there! I'm soo gosh darn sorry! I was grounded for reasons I don't want to point out! I here by pledge that I will update at least every three days! And!  I promise that this chapter will be longer… a lot longer!

And now for Chapter 3!

(I do not own Inu-Yasha…  I wish I did!)

What I Wouldn't Do 

Chapter 3: My Tormented Soul

Inu-Yasha sat bolt up-right.

"Kagome!" mentally smacking himself he jumped from the tree and ran as fast as he could toward the well, figuring to himself that she went home. "How could I've not recognized her scent! God… Kagome…"

He flew past Miroku and Sango who had just came to find him, ignoring them completely. _I need to find her… I need her._

Kagome lay on her bed with her head buried in her arms, crying her heart out. Mrs. Higurashi listened at her door, her heart paining to hear her daughter cry so. Sighing, she left her post to go fix some dinner.

Kagome had came home not five hours ago, crying even harder that she had just then, and without even speaking to anyone, she locked herself in her room. Mrs. Higurashi sighed again as she placed a pot on the stove. _I wonder what Inu-Yasha did this time… but its not like it'll last long… it never does. _

After a while, Kagome's sobbing was replaced by sniffing and silent tears. "Inu-Yasha…" was all that could force from her clenched mouth, though her mind held a billion questions all chasing each other in circles, an enigma of hurts.

_Why did you have to go back to Kikyo? She's dead! She doesn't love you for a hanyou… I did! God… Inu-Yasha… I don't even think that she loves you at all… Why did you hurt me? Why do you do this to yourself… and me… why can't you love me like Kikyo? … why?_

Her body shook with silent sobs and tears ran down her cheeks. Tired of it all, she cried herself to sleep. Mrs. Higurashi came in minutes later to call supper, but seeing Kagome asleep, she covered her up and kissed her forehead. She stood for a moment, gazing at the first snows drifting past her daughters window.

"Sleep well baby… it'll be alright in the morning."

Kagome's alarm went off at seven o'clock in the morning, but the miko was in no mood to get up. Jerking the plug out of the wall, she pulled the covers over her head and tried to block out the morning birds singing. She was congested and her eyes were red and puffy from crying so much, the thoughts still buzzed around her head, though slightly muffled. Finally giving up the idea of falling back asleep, she tossed the covers off her bed and plodded out of her room, down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Hi honey! How did you sleep?" Kagome shot he mother an 'honestly mom' look as she dropped herself into a chair. Blinking slowly at the bright sunlight, she tugged at her night shirt where the jewel hung from her neck.

_Almost complete… almost complete…_ "Hey mom, how long was I asleep? I still feel exhausted."

"Nearly two days… your grandpa and I were starting to worry until I went upstairs yesterday and woke you up to give you food."

"TWO DAYS! I don't remember you coming in… or sleeping that long!"

"You were half-asleep when I woke you up" Mrs. Higurashi sneaked a glance over at her daughter, her face was droopy and she had black rings under her eyes as if she hadn't slept a wink.

"Kagome, sweetie… I know that you and Inu-Yasha had a row… couldn't you at least give him another chance?"

"I'm sorry mom, but no… he's hurt me too much." Kagome's voice sounded distant and strange to her. Almost as if she wasn't in the room.

"Kagome, you know you want to see him again." Mrs. Higurashi took Kagome's hand in her's. "One more, you'll see that it'll make you feel better."

"I'll try mom." Smiling, Mrs. Higurashi stood up from the table and placed an omelet in front of Kagome.

"Now eat up while I put some Raman in your bag for Inu-Yasha."

Kagome reluctantly took a bite. _But its not going to be easy mom… I don't know if I can forgive him… not this time… no…never again!_

"Hey mom!"

"Yes honey?"

"I won't be needing my bag this time…"

"Inu-Yasha! Wait up!"

"WHAT!" the half demon wheeled around, his hair swirling around his body. The wind whispered softly through the golden trees, and they groaned ominously.

"Where are you going?" Miroku asked reproachfully.

"To get Kagome… she's been away long enough."

"I think that she might want to be left alone, Inu-Yasha."

"Who gives a damn what _she_ wants" _Who in the hells am I trying to fool! Of course I care!_ "She's been nothing but a whiney pain!"

"But Inu-Yasha! She was really upset! And if you go now she might never come back!" Sango stomped her foot down. "And I'll be damned if you force her to do such a thing!"

"HEY! I didn't do a — " Inu-Yasha's ears twitched. "Kagome…"

The half-demon bounded off with Sango and Miroku trailing off after him. The forest suddenly gave way to a clearing, to reveal a weather beaten and crumbling old well. And sitting on top of that was Kagome, leaning back on her hands and a far away smile playing across her mouth. Inu-Yasha stopped abruptly, then Sango and Miroku followed in suit, all three not really sure of what to make of this, and neither of them remembering that Shippo was left alone at camp. Kagome slowly turned to face them, her expression never changed, but in her eyes a hurtful fire gleamed. She had dressed herself in a long sleeved black shirt and an even darker long skirt.

"Well… talk about rolling out the welcome wagon…" Her voice had an eerie mistiness and a cold bite. "I just thought that you would be too busy, Inu-Yasha…" his name was filled with such contempt that Miroku and Sango couldn't help but shudder.

"Why do you say that?" said Inu-Yasha tonelessly.

"Well… you certainly were too busy to talk to me three days ago… you know after my training… I mean your lips were all over Kikyo's and I guess that would make it hard to talk…"

"HEY! WAIT A DAMN SECOND!"

"NO! YOU LISTEN!" Kagome stood up, a hellish blue glow engulfed her and her voice was harder than flint. "I AM TIRED OF YOU TREATING ME LIKE SHIT! I AM FULL OF IT UP TO HERE! YOU DID NOTHING BUT HURT ME, YOU ASS HOLE! ALL I DID WAS LOVE YOU! CARE FOR YOU! AND YOU GO OFF WITH A CLAY POT AND LEAVE ME THERE TO WAIT FOR YOU! NO MORE, INU-YASHA!"

Sango's eyes grew wide and Miroku gripped his staff as the light grew and flashed like fire.

"You love me…?" Inu-Yasha whispered.

"Wrong, I LOVED you! …I HATE YOU NOW! I FUCKING HATE YOUR GUTS! RIDDLE ME THIS INU-YASHA! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT KIKYO REALLY LOVES YOU? HUH? WELL I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU! WHILE YOU WERE LOVING UP TO A DEAD WOMAN, YOU THRUST AWAY THE PERSON WHO DID! ME! AND I WON'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!" Kagome yelled so loudly that her voice cracked. The blue light from hell gave god awful shriek and consumed the entire area in transparent blue flames. Inu-Yasha gave a cry of pain and fell to his knees, clutching his head.

"NOW YOU FEEL HOW I FEEL! DO YOU LIKE IT!" Kagome thundered above the roaring fires, Sango would remember this day until she died. How Kagome was utterly furious and how here eyes told a different story, they cried; _Inu-Yasha! Why can't you love me? Why… I love YOU! Why can't you love me?_

"Miroku, what's going on!"

"I haven't a clue, Lady Sango!"

Inu-Yasha picked himself up and faced Kagome with a pain expression that reached his soul. "Kagome… why?" he clutched at the grass as the flames faded and whispered off into the autumn afternoon.

"I could ask you the same thing…" she gave the chain about her neck a tug and threw the uncompleted jewel to Inu-Yasha, where it landed at his knees. "Do what you want with it… I don't care anymore… goodbye forever Inu-Yasha…" she jumped over the side of the well and disappeared. A sob escaped Inu-Yasha as he bent down to pick up the jewel. He suddenly found it's pinkish glow revolting. A soon as his fist closed around it he took off toward the mountains as fast as he could.

"Oh my god Miroku! Do you think she was serious… ?"

"Most undoubtedly so Lady Sango"

"I have to talk to Kaede… Let's go…"

"I agree!"

"HEEYYY!" Shippo came bounding out of the woods and halted about three feet from them. "WHAT HAPPENED! I SAW LIGHT! YOU GUYS LEFT ME! WHERE'S KAGOME! WHERE'S INU-YAHSA?"

"Shippo… please come to the village with us… we have much to talk about." Miroku picked up the shaking kitsune and carried him off.

"So Lady Kaede… what do you make of it?" Miroku leaned in closer to the old miko.

"Well this is very interesting, Miroku. Are you sure you described it right?"

"Yes, Kaede. It looked like flames… and they were a bright blue… like the middle of a flame… but it only hurt Inu-Yasha!" Sango said through sobs and hiccups. "I don't understand… it didn't bother Kagome be-f-f-fore!"

Miroku leaned over and wrapped an arm around Sango's waist and shoulder and pulled her so that she was leaning on his shoulder. The demon slayer stiffened for a second, shocked, then relaxed and began to cry anew. Through the window, you could see Shippo happily playing with some village children, throwing a pink ball that Kagome brought a couple months ago.

"Hmm…" Kaede scratched her brow and sighed "you see, very few miko have an unusual ability. They are able to convert a powerful emotion into a weapon of some sort… and everyone's weapon is different… The first miko able to do this was Midoriko, the maker of the Shikon no Tama. Since that time… well… only three miko's have had this ability. And I'm feel ashamed to say but I knew that this was going to happen."

"Was Kikyo able to do this, Lady Kaede?"

"No… my sister may have been powerful… but she wasn't that powerful."

"What did you mean that y-y-you knew that this was going to happen?" Sango wiped a hand over her eyes and snuggled closer to Miroku.

"I have an ability too you know… to broadly know what will happen in the future… it gets rather complicated at times."

Miroku chuckled sadly "Perhaps that is why you are so lucky, Lady Kaede"

"Perhaps yes… now, let's all get some sleep… i'twill be better in the morning."

"KAGOME! You're home early! How did it go? … Honey! Why are you crying?"

"I'll be fine mom… in a couple days, I'll be fine…"

"So, when's your next test so I can pick up some clothes for Inu-Yasha? He hates it when you have tests so he often hangs out here."

Kagome flinched as his mention. "I won't be going back mom… ever…"

"I don't …"

"Inu-Yasha did something I don't think I can ever forgive… and I am never going back." Kagome walked past Mrs. Higurashi and slammed her door once upstairs.

"Oh Kagome, but he loves you" she whispered to herself and shook her head.

A.N: I hope you liked my longer chapter! HAVE FUN WAITING FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! … _Torture _


	4. Torture

A.N: You see!  It wasn't that long of a wait! Now… ON TO CHAPTER FOUR!

Arrius (I really wish I did… But I don't own Inu-Yasha!)

What I Wouldn't Do 

Chapter 4: Torture

"Honey! You need to get up! School begins in a half an hour!"

"I'm UP!" Kagome hollered from the bathroom door, a towel wrapped about her body and one in her hair. "I'll be right down! Just let me finish getting dressed!" She plucked her face away from the door and snapped it shut.

It has been three days since she came back from the feudal era and for some reason Kagome felt worse then she did when she was back there. Regrets kept chasing themselves around in circles and kept popping up out of no where like mushrooms in spring.

_Why did I act like that! That's not me! Why didn't I say good bye to the others! AND SHIPPO! They must hate me now! I can't believe I did that! But still… rrgggg… Inu-Yasha makes me so mad I could… I could…_

She tugged the towel from her hair and plugged in her hairdryer. When she flipped the switch Kagome brought the hairdryer to her hair and began to move it back and forth, but no air was coming out. Three times she tried hitting the reset button, and soon after she was banging the hairdryer as hard as she could on the counter, imagining that Inu-Yasha head was the hair dryer. The door creaked open and Mrs. Higurashi's face peered in.

"Um… sweetie… what are you doing?" Kagome looked over at her mom and blushed. "Why don't you towel dry you hair?"

"Okay, mom." Kagome

"HEY! KAGOME!"

Kagome whirled around and was face to face with Hojo, who was breathless and breathing rather hard. "I think it's great that you're back from the hospital so soon! I mean… you grandfather said that you had a terrible case of tuberculosis just four days ago! How are you feeling?"

'_Grampa…I am going to hurt you!_' "Just fine! It turns out that I just had pneumonia."

"That's great! I brought you some tea from Kyoto, I was there applying for advanced lessons in my juku classes… My parents say that we might be moving there soon." Hojo reached inside his back pack and pulled a small light green box with craned painted on the sides. "I had a monk bless it before I left so that you would stay well. OH! How would you like to go to the festival on New Years with me?"

He pushed the box into her arms and gazed hopefully into her face. '_This might be the perfect chance to forget the feudal era!_' Kagome smiled at the naïve boy. "I would love to go! But… New Years isn't for a couple of months!"

"I know! I just wanted to make sure that you would go with me and no one else! Ja mata!" Hojo mounted his bike and pedaled away down the street.

"Oh! Thank god my friends weren't here, they would have had a cow!" Kagome tucked the box inside of her coat pocket and walked off in the opposite direction.

"Lady Sango…"

"Yes Miroku?"

"Do you know where Inu-Yasha is?"

Sango placed down the basket she was using to carry herbs in and looked quizzically over at the monk. "No, I don't… why?"

"He's been gone ever since Kagome left… and … I'm starting to worry. What if he did something stupid or what if he was hurt or –"

"Miroku! Calm down… I'm sure Inu-Yasha can take care of himself. And let's not talk of Kagome, alright?" Sango added shakily as she brushed her hand across her eyes and picked the basket back up.

"As you wish, Lady Sango." Miroku sat down under the awning in Kaede's garden and looked up into the clouds, wherever Inu-Yasha was Miroku felt that he wasn't doing too well. "If he's in trouble though, Lady Sango, tonight is bad… tonight is the new moon…"

"Ha Ha! You pathetic little half-breed! You're the famous Inu-Yasha, correct! Well, I'll enjoy killing you!" A giant spider demon lifted his prey off the ground and brought him closer to his face.

Inu-Yasha stared blankly, his eyes devoid of all emotion and he fell limp as the demon dropped him on the spot. "What! No will to fight! I thought this was going to be fun… Wait! A JEWEL SHARD!"

The demon's long spindle like arm reached inside Inu-Yasha haori and brought out the Shikon shard. "Ooh, a big shard! Won't I love this!" He picked up Inu-Yasha and threw him bodily across the outcrop of rock upon which the unfortunate half-demon stumbled upon him. Inu-Yasha landed with a sickening thud and didn't bother to try and get up. He was bruised and cut all over; he had several cracked ribs and had lost so much blood that he was beginning to feel dizzy.

Just as the demon brought the shard to its mouth, a purple like light cut though him and the jewel soared into the air and landed beside Inu-Yasha. When the dust cleared, Kikyo stood there, bow poised and robes billowing.

"Inu-Yasha" she hollered over to him. "I know you could have killed that pathetic fool yourself, and yet you chose not to. Why is that?"

"Leave me alone Kikyo… I don't want anything to do with you anymore." He sat up and winced, then lay back down, cursing that the dead miko came.

"Were you hoping that it would kill you? Or are you just trying to have fun, Inu-Yasha?"

"Didn't I say that I wanted you to leave me alone?" He reached across his chest and snatched the jewel from where it lay, even even the most cynical person now couldn't comprehend how much he hated everything. Fluid like in motion, Kikyo crossed the outcrop and kneeled beside Inu-Yasha, offering her arm to him. He grabbed it with his other arm and forced her backwards.

"Back off, now! I told you twice already!"

"I see you have made your choice, but I am warning you now Inu-Yasha, inflicted scars never heal, and torture lives forever. Only the dead have peace. Remember that" She walked past him, her soul catchers floating behind her like a mist on the wind.

He didn't bother to let his eyes follow her as she walked away, instead he placed the shard beck inside his haori and brought out a middle sized pocket knife that Kagome bought for him last "Christmas Time" as she put it.

He placed its shining blade against his upper arm and thrust it down ward, relishing in the fact that he was distracted from Kagome. Blood poured out of his new wound and ran over the slate gray rock. How her laughter rang in his ears before now rang the words she spoke to him.

"_Wrong, I LOVED you! …I HATE YOU NOW! I FUCKING HATE YOUR GUTS!"_

"Kagome…" his voice failed as he stood up and placed the knife at his lower arm. He jerked it upwards so hard that it snapped and fell to the ground.

_I'm sorry for everything…_

Dropping the handle, he bared his claws and brought it down as hard as he could along his back.

_I never meant to hurt you… Kagome_

Blood flowed freely as water by now; Inu-Yasha swayed on the spot and steadied himself. This time he dragged his claws along his wrists, leaving deep gushing wounds in their trails.

_Kagome…I hope you can be happy now…_

He could no longer hold himself upright and crashed to the ground onto his knees, pain lanced through his body as he cut himself again and again… each time Kagome's image growing fainter and fainter. His silver hair began to fade to black as the new moon rose. Inu-Yasha swayed and fell to the pool of his own blood, staring blankly to the world.

I love you… Kagome… 

A pair of girlish feet paused before him, then their owner let out a blood chilling scream before running off, but by that time Inu-Yasha was already unconscious.

"LORD SESSHOMARU! LORD SESSHOMARU COME QUICK!"

"What is it Rin, calm down!" Sesshomaru turned around and placed his hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Tell me what's wrong!"

"I was walking over on th-that outcrop over there and I saw r-r-r-red and I thought it was fl-fl-flowers, but I came n-nearer and I saw a human l-l-laying there in blood! Lord S-S-Sesshomaru, that h-human looked like Inu-Yasha… b-b-but with bl-black hair." Rin sobbed as she cupped her hands over her cheeks.

"Inu-Yasha you fool!" Sesshomaru stepped past the crying Rin and followed the scent of blood to where she pointed. There lay Inu-Yasha, a pitiful sight. His hair spread around him like a crown, his arms open wide and his legs tucked under each other. His eyes were closed so delicately that you could have thought of him as just sleeping. Sesshomaru bent down and unsheathed Tensaigua, and sheathed it again. "Stop your crying Rin, he's not dead. And it is Inu-Yasha. Jakken! Clean up this mess after I put Inu-Yasha on Aa-Un."

"Yes, m'lord Sesshomaru." Jakken stepped forward and tapped the two headed staff on the ground as Sesshomaru picked up Inu-Yasha unceremoniously and placed him on the dragon. Fire erupted from the old man's mouth. All that was left was a black patch on the earth.

"Rin, I want you to clean him up a bit. And make sure that he doesn't fall off because if he does I will not pick him up again."

"Y-yes Lord S-Sesshomaru"

"Jakken!"

"Yes, m'lord?"

"Go tell the Oni tribe that I won't be able to make it there tonight."

"Yes, m'lord!" the imp clambered off into the rocks as Sesshomaru led Aa-Un past the mountain side and through the wood.

"Lord Sesshomaru… where are we going?" Rin piped up after a while.

"To a village where my little brother's friends live, they can care for him after this."

"Now, who could that be at this late hour!" Kaede placed down her tea cup and limped over to the door at the sound of a sharp rapping. Sango and Miroku looked over at each other wondering who could it be. Sesshomaru stood before her, glowing majestically in the starlight.

Without pausing to greet of any sort he sauntered over to Rin and lifted Inu-Yasha from his dragon's saddle and walked back inside Kaede's hut. He placed his brother on the tatami mat in the corner and turned to face the wide eyed occupants of the hut.

"I found him in the mountains, he's almost gone from this world and he would be if Rin hadn't of spotted him." He left the hut and led Aa-Un out of the village.

"SANGO! Fetch me some hot water and clean bandages! MIROKU! Take off Inu-Yasha's clothes! NOW! BOTH OF YOU!"

"My god Kaede, what happened to him?" Sango wiped a cold cloth over the hanyou's brow. Tears fought past her unwillingness and dripped down her cheeks in courses. "Who could have done this to him? I mean, the sun's been up for ages and he still hasn't healed… what's going on? First Kagome… well… and now this!"

"No matter how much I'd rather to not know I would also like answers, Lady Kaede." The monk shifted in his robes, all three haven't slept since Inu-Yasha was "dropped" off. More times than one Inu-Yasha cried out into darkness as if being tortured by some unseen tormentor.

The old miko stood facing the window. Shippo had seen Inu-Yasha not too long before dawn and cried so hard that he gave himself a headache, he was now sitting on the top of a rain barrel staring into its coolness. "I don't want to tell you no more than you want to know, Miroku. However, you and Sango need to know the truth. Come and sit down by me."

"Well, what happened? Do you know?"

"Not entirely but I can say that Inu-Yasha will be scarred forever."

Miroku leaned closer to the old woman, "What are you saying Lady Kaede?"

"I mean that the other wounds that have already healed were made by another demon… you see… When a half demon is hurt by another demon, he is protected by his demon blood, correct. And when the battle is over his demon blood takes over again and heals him."

Both Sango and Miroku nodded and listened intently. "But when a half-demon attacks itself, the demon side of them becomes confused and doesn't do anything to help the human side, and the half demon is killed from their wounds, Inu-Yasha is indebted to Rin and Sesshomaru."

"WHAT! Are you saying that… that… THAT INU-YASHA DID THIS TO HIMSELF? HOW COULD HE? ALL THESE HORRIBLE THINGS! HE NEARLY DIED BECAUSE OF THEM!" Sango stood over the sleeping hanyou and desperately longed to kill him herself.

"But you must understand Sango, remember what Inu-Yasha told us that day Kagome was attacked by Kagura not too long ago?" Kaede looked over to her.

"No I don't remember."

Miroku stepped forward, "Lady Sango, you left the room right after Shippo woke up and then Inu-Yasha told us this…

FLASHBACK: THREE WEEKS PRIOR 

Miroku came hurdling out of the forest, Kagome sagging motionlessly in his arms. The wind whistled in his ears and a torrent caught him by his heels.

"INU-YASHA!"

Before Miroku could finish his name, a red and silver blur darted past him and into the heart of the winds. Moments later the air became still and Tetsuaigua was pressed against the incarnation's throat.

"Kagura," Inu-Yasha growled "Next time you touch Kagome, I will personally make sure that you burn in hell." Without warning he thrust her away and sheathed his weapon.

"Watch yourself half breed" replied Kagura, "Or I will kill her next time." She plucked a feather from her hair and lifted off, showering dust on the three she left behind.

"Inu-Yasha, I found Lady Kagome coming out of the well just as Kagura showed up. I'm not sure what to make of her attacking Lady Kagome." Miroku fretted his eyes out. The half-demon paid no heed to the rambling monk. He slowly took Kagome from Miroku's arms and made sure that she wasn't bleeding badly. "When I got there Lady Kagome was in the middle of Kagura's Dance of the Dragon, she fell and hit her head on the well. And—"

"Miroku…"

"Yes Inu-Yasha?"

"You said that she hit her head? How hard?"

"I'm afraid that is what caused her to go unconscious."

"Kaede will know what to do." Inu-Yasha set off at a fast pace, leaving Miroku to stare off after him, sometimes Inu-Yasha could surprise us all.

"INU-YASHA! SIT DOWN!" Kaede barked, startling him so that he nearly tripped over his feet to obey. An hour before he had shown up with Kagome in his arms and nobody had bothered to tell him how she was doing.

"Well old woman… is she going to be alright?"

"Of course, she'll have a right of a headache when she wakes up but she'll be right as rain."

"When will she wake up?"

"Inu-Yasha?" Sango peered over Shippo's sleeping head to him, "Why are you so worried, it's not like Kagura took the jewel."

"Is that what you think that I care about? The jewel?" Inu-Yasha glanced over at the demon-slayer then hung his head.

"Sango…" Shippo rolled over onto his side. "I'm thirsty!"

"Well then we'll just have to fix that!" She picked up the small kitsune and strolled out of the hut, happy to escape the tense atmosphere.

"Miroku… is that what all of you think?"

"That is how you make it seem, Inu-Yasha."

"You're wrong then… sometimes it kills me to think of what Kagome goes through. Every time she's hurt I worry myself to death… She's the one thing that keeps me from running off to hell with Kikyo… A lot of the time I wonder if one day she'll just stop coming back here and forget about us. What happens when the jewel is complete? I just can't bare to lose her… What am I telling you this for… it's not like you understand." Inu-Yasha stood up and walked huffily over to the door.

"Inu-Yasha…" Miroku started after him.

"Forget it Miroku… just forget it."

**END FLASHBACK**

"Really? He said that?'

"I've known for quite some time that Inu-Yasha had feelings for Kagome, and from that time I've been trying to nudge him and Kagome along. He loves her." Kaede shook her head knowingly, "but unfortunately things were never really over between my sister and Inu-Yasha"

"What do we do now, Kaede?" Sango leaned forward to the old woman.

"We wait…"

A.N: I hope you like my new longer chapters! Next time

Chapter 5: _Festival Day and Sesshomaru's Advice _


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